


Exodus

by KeoProductions



Series: Exodus [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Exodus - Freeform, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-27 19:38:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6297493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeoProductions/pseuds/KeoProductions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You finally get away from that horrible school and start attending a new one. There, you meet your first real friend in a long time and encounter that strange person again.. do they go to your school?</p>
          </blockquote>





	1. Ice Queen

"Did you hear?"

"What?"

"Apparently, another guy got pushed by _____."

"Again? Why is she so rude?" You duck your head as you pass by everyone in the hallway, letting your hair hide your face. A few of the girls step back in disgust, but I ignore it.

You were- according to your classmates- the prettiest girl in your school. You weren't sure if it was a good thing either. Personally, you thought you had a decent face and body, but you had a hard time believing that you charmed so many boys.

Yet, almost everyday it seems, one comes to you and confesses. Just like yesterday.

_"Why did you want to see me?" You ask, placing your textbooks down on your desk. The guy smiles confidently, and you realize you have another boy who only likes your for your looks._

_"Don't you know? I'm pretty sure lots of guys have come to see you." He inches closer. "I like you, _____. Would you be my girlfriend?"_

_"No." You weren't interested having a boyfriend, and you couldn't afford it either, not with the secret you had. He seems unperturbed, as if he were expecting that answer, and takes another step closer._

_"I can give you a good time, I have money too, you don't have to worry about that. I'll make sure no one bothers you either, I know how the girls can be a bit mean." You frowned at him, placing your hand on your desk._

_"I'm not interested in you. If that's all you want, then I'll be going." You re reaching for your textbooks when he grabs your wrist and yanks you away from the door. You yelp and trip over a desk, falling on your butt. An intimidating smirk appears on his face as he saunters to you._

_"_____, you don't have to leave so fast. Stay here with me, and I can change your mind." Your breath quickens as fear takes over you, and you desperately scoot away as he nears._

_"No, stop it. Ryeo!" He reaches for you and you clench your eyes shut, swinging your arm in front of you. "Get away!!" A loud crash makes you open your eyes and you gasp when Ryeo groans. He was in the middle of pile of knocked over desks and chairs, and you stand up, checking to see for any injuries. When he looks okay- without any open cuts, that is- you grab your things and run out of the room._

You glance at Ryeo as you pass him in the hall and he glares at you. You look away and walk into class, sliding into your seat. When you reach inside your desk to take out a pencil, you find crumpled up pieces of paper instead. You knew what they said, it was always the same thing.

You look around the room and catch a hefty amount of boys staring at you, but the moment you meet their eyes, they look away and pretend they weren't staring.

Collecting your things, scoot your chair out and dash out of the room. Students laughed as you ran by, while others looked at you with pity. You didn't need their pity. You didn't hate your life. Having friends or a love life just wasn't as important to you as your family was.

When you stepped off school grounds, you finally allow yourself to calm down and you enter a relaxing pace. You decided to skip school today, as you did most days, and go to the small bookstore downtown.

 

* * *

 

 

"Thanks, Wang Xun." You slide your purchase of books into your school bag and smile at him. He gave you a sad smile back.

"Why don't you go to school for once? Stand up to those bullies?" He asks you. You frown. Wang Xun, the guy who owned the bookstore, was a nice guy. He wasn't the brightest at times, but his positivity made up for it.

"They don't bully me. They feel less than me so they try to make me feel bad." I say. He looks unconvinced.

"That's usually what bullies are, _____." You roll your eyes and smile.

"It doesn't matter. I like coming here." You finger the spine of a book on a nearby shelf. Most of the books here were old and worn, but that's what you liked about them. "Plus, if I really wanted to, I could get all the boys in school to back me up." He laughs at that and nods his head.

"I bet if anyone could, it'd be you." You say your goodbyes and you walk down the usually busy streets. You glance around, there was no one out here. Suddenly feeling nervous, you hug your bag closer to you and you step onto the empty street.

Usually by now, you would have been lost in your thoughts, but you had this itching feeling in the back of your neck that warned you to stay alert. You quicken your step as you near a corner and prepare to make a mad dash, you know someone was following you, but you were too stricken by nerves to check.

The last step you took was a large one, and you swing yourself around the corner of the building, hoping the momentum would give you a boost of energy; but as you do so, your crash into someone instead.

Panicking, but not losing yourself, you try to back away and apologize, but the person holds you in place. You look up to meet dark eyes on a handsome face, and you freeze. Something about this guy seemed... familiar, even though you've never met. He must have thought the same thing, because his face mirrored how you felt.

Before you can come to your senses, a figure appears behind you. "Baekhyun, there you--" The person stops when I turn my head in alarm. 'Baekhyun' lets his arms drop to his side, and the absense of his touch made me feel somewhat lonely. The guy behind me gave me a long look before glancing at his friend. "Suho needs to see us, all of us." He says carefully, and you couldn't help but wonder what he was trying to hide.

You were tempted to use your powers- which you learned to call a forcefield- but that would expose you. You would only use it if you needed it, you decided long ago. Nonetheless, you realized your situation and bowed, apologizing to Baekhyun and running away as fast as you could without looking back. Those guys looked like they were into some bad business, and you were almost caught up in the middle of it, it seemed like.

 

* * *

 

 

"I'm home!" You spent the rest of the school day at the park near your school- keeping an eye out to see if those guys from earlier had followed you- and when you heard the end of the day bell ring, you quickly made your way home.

You mom waves at you from the kitchen as you head upstairs to your bedroom. You wave back. You close your door when you get to your bedroom and place your bag on your desk, taking out your new books and placing them on the shelves, then taking your textbooks out and setting them your desk.

That night as you lay in bed, you think about that guy you had bumped into. Why had you thought he was familiar? He had no feature that you recognized, and he was the only guy you found handsome in your whole life, which left you baffled.

It wasn't just this Baekhyun guy though, it was also his friend. He had a mysterious aura and you had no idea what he was thinking. You didn't catch his name either.

You came to the conclusion that you would probably never see those boys again and let sleep overthrow you. I mean, how likely was it that you'd run into someone as intriguing as the guys you met?

Apparently, more likely than you thought.

 


	2. Suho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally get away from that horrible school and start attending a new one. There, you meet your first real friend in a long time and encounter that strange person again.. do they go to your school?

"We're moving?" Your mother took you into the living room when you got home that day. You were uneasy because she rarely took you aside like this and sat you down, and when she did, it wasn't good news.

"It's not far from here, just a few blocks away and closer to downtown. But you're going to have to switch schools." She says sadly, scanning your face to see how you felt about it.

"Okay." Is all you say. She looks a little relieved, but at the same time even more worried.

"Are you sure you'll be alright? Won't you miss your friends?" You shake your head, waving it off.

"I can still see them," You tell her, thinking of Wang Xun. "Besides, like you said, it's not THAT far away." The worry you saw earlier dissipates and she smiles.

"Thanks, why don't you go pack your things? I already did most of it, just finish your clothes." She says.

"Alright." She hugs you before you go upstairs and you close the door behind you. You skipped school again today. You hadn't planned to, but your curiousity got the best of you. It's been a week since then and you went downtown everyday to see if those boys were there. They weren't.

You quickly fold your clothes into a suitcase and bring them downstairs for tomorrow morning. You were sure moving wouldn't make a difference in your life, so it didn't bother you as much as you thought it should.

Sighing, you sit at your desk and trash your homework. You didn't need it if you weren't going to school the next day.

 

* * *

 

 

The house was bigger than you expected, and in a lot better shape than your last one- you wondered where your parents got the money to do this, but didn't question their methods.

Your mother had signed you up at a new school the day before- also before you came home- and for some reason, you were getting a little excited.

Maybe this school won't be like the last one, you thought. Maybe you could actually make a few friends. But as soon as you walked through the front doors, you lost that dream. It was a defense mechanism, to be honest. You didn't want to get close to anyone anyways, you've read too many books where the main character shows their best friend their powers and they bust them.

You didn't want to risk it.

"This is _____, she will be joining us today. She moved in our neighborhood yesterday, so be nice to her, alright?" You new classmates eye you like a piece of meat, the girls looking astonished and the boys looking happy. You give a small wave before taking an empty seat in the middle.

When the teacher prepares the board for a warm-up, the guy sitting next to you turns in his seat toward you. You inwardly groan. "Did you grow up here?" He asks you. You blink. That didn't SOUND like a pick-up line.

"Yeah." You look at him for the first time and you are left awestruck. He was really handsome. His cheeks were round, but his jaw was sharp. His eyes were dark in color, but they gave off a confident radiance. You could tell by the way he smiled that he laughed a lot, and for a moment you envied him.

"Have you been downtown at all?" He motions toward your bag. Inside, you could see one of the books you bought from Wang Xun. "I think I saw that same book at a small bookstore I go to sometimes." Your heart flutters. Of course other people went to that book store, but you never saw anyone but older folks enter it.

A smile finds it's way on your face, much to your surprise. When was the last time you smiled so genuinely? "Yeah, actually. I'm friends with the owner." He chuckles.

"My name is Suho, it's nice to meet you _____." He holds out his hand for you to shake and you take it. His name struck you as oddly familiar, but you couldn't figure out where you had heard it from before the teacher started his lecture.

Suho ends up helping you go to your classes and you thank him a lot. He introduces you to one of his friends at lunch, since you had the last few classes without him. His friend's name was Lay- he was also very handsome- he was so nice and kind-hearted, you had a hard time believing it was real.

But it wasn't just him, Suho and the rest of your classmates were all really nice people, you wonder why everything was so dismal at your old school. Then you remember. By the end of the day, you tell yourself you won't get caught up in the happiness here, and you'll stick to yourself to avoid discovery.

You step onto the school's front lawn just as the bell rings and think of how you're going to distance yourself from Suho, when you spot someone in the crowd. That same wave of familiarity hits you like a rock and you find yourself running to catch up to him.

It was weird, it's been a whole week yet you remember every detail in his hair, in his face, in the way he looked at you like you weren't a stranger... You push past students, squeezing your way in between people, but no matter how fast you moved, you end up losing sight of him. You stop, out of breath.

You're left baffled and confused. Why had you chased after him so eagerly when you didn't know him? Shaking your head, you turn around to head home but bump into someone you weren't expecting to see. "Oh, Suho!" You say. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." He smiles and waves it off. "Are you heading home?" He asks you. "I was just going to that bookstore, did you want to go with me?" Your heart flutters again and you wonder what it meant. Forgetting your own rule, you reply.

"Sure." You smile back at him and you head off to see Wang Xun.

 

* * *

 

 

When you get there, Wang Xun's eyebrows rise high on his face. "_____? You brought a friend?" He asks. "One I know, at that!" Suho greets him politely and you walk closer to inspect the shelves.

"You got new shelves?" You ask, eyes widening.

"Yeah, Suho's family is well off, and he was kind enough to donate to my store." Wang Xun bows to Suho, who looks flustered.

"It's okay, really! I like the books you sell." He says. The three of you spend a few hours there, talking about the latest news and the books he had coming soon. It was late in the afternoon before you say goodbye. "_____! I can walk you home if you want." Suho offers.

You open your mouth to accept his offer, but stop yourself. Weren't you being a little too friendly with him? With everyone? It's only been one day and you've forgotten how to keep to yourself. You realize you were lonelier than you let yourself believe and that only hardens your resolve. Closing your mouth sadly, you shake your head.

"No?" He asks, looking slightly disappointed, but then he smiles again. "Alright, but be safe, okay? It's getting late." You nod and watch him walk off before turning and walking down the street. Once again, the usually crowded streets were empty and you had that feeling that you were being followed, but no matter how quickly or stealthily you looked behind you, you didn't see anyone.

Your gaze falls on a parked car up ahead. It's the first one you've seen all day, really. Looking at it as if it were a spectacle, your eyes stare at the rearview mirror. You eyes widen when you see it. You quickly whip around to call out the stalker, but they turn into an alley and disappear. Angry, you stomp over there and turn to look into the shadowed place.

No one was there.

 

* * *

 

 

Your mom unpacked your things while you were away, warning you not to stay out so late without telling her next time, and you lay on your bed tiredly. So many unexpected things happened today that you weren't sure what to expect tomorrow.

You made some friends and saw that guy you ran into at school. Does that mean he's a student there? Or did he just happen to be caught in the crowd of kids? You turn onto your stomach and close your eyes.

You'll think about it all tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's earlier than it should be, but I want to thank you for all the likes! I wasn't sure if anyone would like the series, but you all gave me courage and motivation! I hope you enjoyed the second part!


	3. Kai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suho tries to make you feel like you fit in, but you end up finding out something that puts you on edge...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really excited for this series, and your support really encourages me!! Okay, I'll stop talking now, enjoy!!

"_____?" The girls had all lined up on one side of the room while the boys pulled out slips of paper from a box full of names. You were disappointed when Suho didn't get your slip and kind of zoned out after that, not caring. Your English teacher thought it would be a fun activity pair up and write a biography about your partner. "For the students to get to know each other better" he said.

But the teacher wouldn't allow anyone to open up their slips until lunch time, he made sure of it. If someone did, they'd automatically fail the project. Stupid teacher.

You look up to see who called your name and you nearly double over in surprise. It was the guy! The one with Baekhyun! "You ARE _____, right?" You were positive it was him, but the fact that he didn't look like he recognized you made a sliver of doubt crawl through you. Were you wrong?

"Yeah, that's me." You say. He sits down in front of you- not even asking if it was okay- and you glance at Suho and Lay. "Who're you?" You ask him.

"You don't know him, _____?" Lay asks you, his eyes widening. "Isn't he in your English class?" Suho stops eating to look at you too. You didn't realize he was- maybe he sat behind you?- and you flush, embarrassed at your horrible memorization skills.

"I-I haven't quite memorized everyone yet.." Suho gives you an empathetic smile.

"It's alright. It's only your second day." He turns to the guy- who you swear was the one with Baekhyun- and introduces him. "This is Kai."

"I can introduce myself, Suho.." Kai mumbles shyly. Any doubt you had before vanishes in the blink of an eye. It WAS him- you were sure now. You remember the way his eyes give a downcast look. And the way he says that name is as clear as day. His words from a week before flash in your head.

_Suho needs to see us, all of us._

What could Suho possibly have to do with a street thug? And he said " _all of us_ ", so you were guessing the whole gang was involved. You were suddenly worried for your friend's well-being before remembering where you were at.

"It's nice to meet you, Kai." He smiles, and you realize there wasn't one boy you've met since you moved who you didn't find attractive. They must be aliens, how else could they be so handsome? "Are you friends with Suho?" You ask halfway through lunch, surprising everyone.

"Yeah, we grew up together." He says, then leans over to the table to look at Lay. "All three of us, in fact." Suho laughs when your eyebrows raise.

"Well, all six of us, if you want the specifics." Your jaw drops.

"You have FIVE childhood friends?" You couldn't believe it. You hadn't even HAD a friend until yesterday. They look uneasy by your reaction so you calm yourself. "Sorry, it's just.. I haven't had many friends 'till now.." Lay's eyes widen- again, you note- and he looks at you with disbelief.

"That can't be true! You've at least had a boyfriend, right?" You suddenly feel your roles switch, and you're the one who was uneasy.

"Umm.. no, I haven't." Even Suho couldn't hide his shock.

"But you're so pretty, _____!" Lay blurts. You feel your cheeks heat. "Don't be embarrassed by it, it's true." He says in a gentler tone. "I'm also shocked you haven't had friends before, you're so nice and easy to talk to!"

You look at Suho and Kai for some reason, and they nod in unison. "Thank you... I guess." You scratch the back of your head anxiously. "I've never... had someone say that to me before." Suho's smile looked oddly overjoyed.

"I wish I could say otherwise, but I'm glad we were the first!" You chuckle and spend the rest of lunch with them, talking about the English project and other small things. The fact that Suho was somehow related to that incident in the street slipped your mind along with the rule you had so much trouble following lately.

You only realized it after school ended and you were walking out of seventh period with Kai. "I didn't know you had my seventh period too." You tell him as you walk across the lawn. Your eyes automatically scan the crowd, but the familiar head doesn't enter your vision.

"Well, I usually skip class, so I'm not surprised." You look at him in alarm.

"You SKIP class?" You shouldn't have been so surprised- since you were doing it not even three days ago- but for some reason, Kai didn't strike you as the type to not care about his education.

"Usually, but I learn the stuff at home." He says. "I only come to see my friends." You understood that. Because you didn't go to school a lot, you would stay up learning from your textbook to pass the exams. You were somewhat relieved to know someone else did it too.

You get past the crowd of kids- a lot easier than yesterday, you realize- and find out that Kai lives to your house, so you walked the same way. You looked over your shoulder hoping to see Suho off, but he wasn't there. When there was no one around but you and him, he slows down.

"_____?" You stop walking. "Do you recognize me?" He asks you. You almost ask him what he meant, then realize he could only mean one thing.

"...From last week?" His expression grows serious as he advances on you. Panic bubbles into your chest as he leans over you, his once charming height suddenly intimidating. You had to fight the urge of knocking him back with your forcefield.

"Forget about it, alright?" He says quietly, like he didn't want anyone else to hear. "It would be for your best interest." You stand your ground despite the growing fear threatening to move your legs for you if you didn't- soon.

"Why? Are you guys doing something illegal?" You ask him, making his face scrunch up with distaste.

"We're not that despicable." He says.

"Then why? I didn't even bring it up because I was willing to ignore it, and now you're trying to corner me?" You lie. You weren't going to forget about it, you were going to approach Suho about it- somehow.

"We both know that's a lie." The fact that he could see through your facade so quickly made you uneasy, and you finally feel yourself step back a little. "Forget about it. If you bring it up with Suho, I'll have to take care of you." You swallow nervously, hoping he couldn't tell.

"I--"

"_____? Did you bring a friend?" Your mother opens your front door, peeking around the jamb and eying you. You force a smile.

"Yeah, this is Kai." When you look at him, his expression had completely changed. He was smiling- like at lunch today- and any trace of your earlier discussion was gone.

"Hello, Mrs. _____." He bows and your mom blushes nervously.

"Oh, don't be like that. I'm not that much older than you." She smiles warmly- a smile she usually gave you- and places her hand on the doorknob. "Come in when you're done, I need your opinion on something later, okay?" She closes the door before you can reply.

"Your mom looks nice." He says.

"Don't you DARE do anything to her. I don't want to see any of your illegal business anywhere near my parents, okay?" You say sourly, turning on him. He glares at you and shoves his hands in his pocket.

"I'm not your enemy, _____." He says. "I told you, this is for your own good. You don't want to be any more than acquaintances with us."

"Who is ' _us_ '?" You ask him, but he was already walking away.

"See you at school tomorrow." He says.

"As if!" You storm into your house. He was right, you couldn't avoid seeing him tomorrow- unless you skipped. As much as you wanted to work on that project with Kai- which was, not at all- you wanted to be in the comfort of an old friend and even older bookshelves.

After you mom talks to you, you go to your bedroom and sit at your desk. You were getting worse and worse at keeping yourself in check, you realize.


	4. Familiarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally meet that strange guy you bumped into!

"Why aren't you at school, _____?" Wang Xun sighs the moment you walk into the store. He watches you, his eyes full of pity as you plunk into a chair by the counter.

"It's okay, you don't need to worry." You tell him, picking up a business card that wasn't there before.

"But I DO, I can't have you skipping any more school, alright? You know, your mom came in here the other day." Your eyes widen and you put back the card.

"Really? Yesterday? When?"

"It was late in the afternoon. She was just walking by and decided to come in- window shopping, I guess." You look at him strangely.

"Wait.. how did you know it was MY mom?" You ask him.

"She was talking about you," He says, pointing a finger at you. "I knew it was about you because she said 'My _____ is so nice'!" He laughs when you scowl, already sniffing out the lie. "But really, she picked out one of the new books I ordered." He says.

"Hm.." You didn't find it strange that your mom was out, you just hadn't noticed her leave. You had been so caught up in your thoughts about Kai and Baekhyun and Suho that you didn't hear the front door close. "I'll go to school tomorrow." You tell him finally.

"Good, and then tell me more about that Suho boy." He says. You lift an eyebrow at him, but he just smiles.

 

* * *

 

 

_Baekhyun's P.O.V._

"When you called the meeting last week I bumped into someone." I say the moment we're all assembled. Suho looks at me uneasily. "It wasn't them," I quickly say. "It was a girl." Kai sighs heavily and closes his eyes, grabbing parts of his hair angrily.

He tried to convince me to not say anything about it, but we needed to report everything to Suho. "A girl?" Suho asks.

"She looked my age." I say. "She..." All eight of them wait for me to continue. Kai looks like he wants to hit me. "I don't know, it was weird." I say, shaking my head at the ground. "She bumped into me and- for some reason- I couldn't stop looking at her." Chen bursts out laughing, and I glare at him.

"It's weird that you found a girl cute?" He asks, doubling over. I blush.

"That's NOT what I mean." I wait until he calms down to continue. "I've never seen her before, but I felt like I knew her." Suho stares at me, thinking about this. "I think she felt the same way too."

"But she didn't look at me like that." Kai says suddenly, leaning back. For the first time since I opened my mouth, he looked calm. "It was just you."

"You were with him?" Suho asks.

"Someone had to tell him when the meeting was." He replies. "I just happened to bump into him the same time _____ did." Suho's expression falls.

"_____? _____ bumped into you?" He turns to me. I turn to Kai.

"You know her name?" I ask.

"I know where she goes to school, where she lives," I look at him with distaste. "She goes to school with us, Byun." I glare at him for messing with me before looking at Suho.

He takes fistfuls of his hair and sighs, like he was disappointed. "Did she see anything?" He asks finally.

"No. I wasn't using my powers."

"Good." He nods and looks away. When he looks back, he has a serious expression on his face. "Are you coming to school tomorrow?" He asks me. I nod. "What are you going to say?"

"That I was on a trip with my family, and we came back late." It was a lame excuse, but people would believe it. I look at Suho, confused. "I still don't know why I felt that way, do you?" I ask him. He shakes his head.

"Maybe Chen's right, Byun." He says, making my face twist. "We'll see what happens tomorrow."

 

* * *

 

 

_Your P.O.V._

"EH?!?" Your English teacher looks at you pointedly. "He's not my partner anymore? Why?" Did he really have to switch partners to prove his point?

"Don't worry, I've you a new partner." He says, showing you the pairing list. "You can still finish your project early before the deadline." Your eyes widen when you see the name.

Byun Baekhyun.

"Thank you." You say before leaving. You walk down the hallway in a daze, wondering what would happen if you saw him again. Would it be the same as the last two times?

Not paying attention to where you were going, you turn the corner and slam into someone. "Oh my gosh, I'm so-"

Your body recognizes him before your mind does.

That familiar feeling makes the blood rush to your face. You didn't move as you met eyes, instead, focused on the gold specks that reflected off of his irises in the hallway light.

He had caught you again, his arms resting on yours, his fingers gently touching the skin on your bare arms. You hadn't realized you were holding your breath until he spoke.

"Have we met before?" He smiles at you, letting his arms drop.

Ah, that pang of loneliness was familiar too.

"I think so." You say, even though you KNOW so. "You're Byun Baekhyun?" He blinks, looking surprised. You laugh. "Our teacher told me you were my partner for our biography project." You say.

"Really?" He asks, his smile growing. "Well, good thing for you, I have a lot to talk about." He chuckles, then glances at the clock. "Lunch just started?" He asks you. You nod and you both go the lunch hall together.

It's already halfway through lunch before you realize you've been staring at him.

You couldn't help it.

That familiarity pulled and tugged at the back of your head, like you were going to remember something, but nothing decided to surface.

Well, screw you too, memory.

"_____?" You look at Baekhyun, who was smiling at you. "When do you want to start the project?" He asks. Soon, everyone is paying attention to you.

"Today." You say. "Do you want to come over?" Suho's eyes widen a little.

"Is your mom okay with that?" Kai asks, watching me. You remember his warning from yesterday, and despite the growing unease you smile sweetly at him.

"She was friendly with you, wasn't she?" Suho looked like he was left out, and Lay wasn't too busy eating his food to notice. You smile at them. "Besides, it's only for a project."

"Right." Baekhyun agrees.

 

* * *

 

 

"Bye, _____.~" Baekhyun waves as he walks out your door. You close it behind him. The whole time you two were working, you couldn't shake the feeling that you had met somewhere before. You figured it would go away once you started talking more, but it only got stronger.

In the end, you didn't ask about it. You watched him walk away through the window before going to your room.

What could this all mean?

When you close the door to your room, you sit on your bed and breathe in slowly.

Ever since you realized you had powers, you've been trying to find ways to control them, so incidents -like what happened with Ryeo- wouldn't happen at all.

You quickly manifest a force field around yourself and stand up from the bed.

A few feet from you was your stuffed animal- Ren. She was the only friend you talked to as a kid, and you couldn't get yourself to throw it away, even though you were in high school already. She was a puffer fish, round and huggable.

As you approached her, you gently let your force field touch her, and she moves an inch. You smile, relief as you think you've finally mastered it. But she keeps moving back, even though you stopped moving. You panic and try to pull back the field, but a rush of adrenaline courses in your veins and it expands.

Your desk chair falls over and you backpack scoots under the desk. Your small night light shatters and you scream, jumping away. As you fall back onto the bed you breathe hard, the adrenaline still in your system and your heart beating fast.

_...What the hell was that?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this part wasn't super mind-blowing, but things are gonna happen soon, so anticipate it!


	5. Hide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You came out to have a good time that evening, but you're honestly feeling so attacked right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The opportunity to use the meme was perfect - I can't let that slide! XD

You drum your pencil against your notebook in class, trying to pay attention to what the teacher was saying. But no matter how hard you listened, his words went through one ear and out the other. So far, lunch was your only refuge.

"_____, are you alright? You've been looking out of it all day." Suho asks worriedly, his brow furrowed. You barely nod your head and force a smile. He doesn't look convinced, but doesn't press any further.

"So how far did you two get on your project?" Lay asks, taking a forkful of his macaroni. You were grateful for the distraction.

The last thing you wanted to think about was what the heck happened last night in your bedroom.

"Up to schedule." You say. Baekhyun smiles at you. In calculus, you go through the same thing. You were tapping your foot against the floor and moving your hands on top of your desk, trying to distract yourself.

Baekhyun leans over to you, his lips close to your ear.

"Do you want to go somewhere with me after school?" You give him a tentative nod. Instead of backing away though, he stays that way even when you turn to look at him.

He smiles at you, his nose inches from yours and your hands go still. "Okay." His breath tickles your cheeks before he pulls away.

The rest of the day goes by slowly and you curse time for not going by faster.

You bump into Suho before you leave.

"You and Baekhyun are going somewhere?" He asks, a contagious smile on his face. "Tell me about it afterwards, okay?" He says to Baekhyun.

In the way he looked at him, you had the slight suspicion those were code words only Baekhyun understood, but you ignored it.

 

* * *

 

 

"We'll be back before 5:00." Baekhyun tells your mother when you arrive.

She gives him a quick up and down before nodding and looking at you, saying, "If you're ONE minute past 5:00, I'll give it to 'ya good, alright?"

"Thanks mom." She waves and smiles before closing the door. Baekhyun looks at you and grins excitedly, an expression you hadn't seen on him before.

"Have you ever been to that Chinese restaurant downtown? The one with the knives hanging up?" You shake your head and he laughs. "Me neither, it'll be my first time."

You don't let yourself think of it as a date. You were just becoming friends, how could it be more? But you feel knots of uneasiness wring tightly in your stomach as you walk through the doors anyways.

He wasn't kidding about the knives.

Different types of kitchen knives hung low from the ceiling, some longer and more vicious looking than others, but it intimidated you nonetheless. What if some crazy psycho grabs one?

You and Baekhyun pick a seat at the center, the waiter already at the table waiting for you.

"Can we have two of your most expensive dish?" Baekhyun asks. You gape at him.

"Is that okay?" You ask as he pulls out his wallet and hands the waiter a fifty dollar bill. He waves it off and you shift in your chair guiltily. "Thank you." You tell him after your food arrives. He smiles and picks up his chopsticks.

"Dig in!" You slowly pick at your noodles, wanting to remember everything about this experience. The way the Chinese food's aromas hung in your chest, the way the noodles looked under the yellow light, the way it made your mouth drool a little, the way the knives on the ceiling were shaking a little.

You realize it wasn't a normal thing when the waiters behind the counter look up at them strangely and Baekhyun sets down his chopsticks, doing the same.

"What...?" The question comes too late and you scream when the tables rattles, knocking your food onto the floor.

Baekhyun stands from his chair and pulls you out of yours.

"Get under the tables!" One of the waiters shout, following his own advice.

You were scared, the whole room was trembling and the knives were clanging together. The windows shatter and you fall over in shock, Baekhyun going down with you. His arms wrap around you protectively and he pulls your head against his chest, as if to shield you from seeing everything.

But the trembling only gets worse and you push away from him, looking up.

You were right, the knives were starting to slip from their hooks, and a few of them had already fallen in other places, it was only a matter of time before the big one above you--

A chunk of the ceiling falls down in the corner and you jump, tightening your grip on Baekhyun's shirt. Suddenly, the tremors cease. Slowly, everyone stands up and looks around, you and Baekhyun the last to stand.

"Are you all right?" Baekhyun asks you, wiping something from your hair.

It was strange. There was no way you could feel this safe with someone you met the day before, yet there was no one you felt safer with at the moment.

You hug him tightly and shake your head. He hugs you back, seeming relieved that you were taking comfort in him.

"I'm sorry for bringing you here." He says. You shake your head again instead of talking. You were afraid that if you opened your mouth to speak, your voice would be gone.

You pull away, stepping back a few feet in hope of hiding your stinging eyes. Even if you did feel safe with him, you've never been in an earth quake before, and it was scary nonetheless.

There is one last tremble before the lights go out.

"_____--" Even though it was still daytime, the sunshine was scarce as the clouds consumed the skies, but the little bit that was filtering in through the broken windows was enough for you to see the glint above him.

"Baekhyun!!" You lunge forward and before you can think, your arms fly around Baekhyun and you tackle him to the floor.

You flinch, a small whimper escaping your throat as the knife should have plunged into your back, but the pain never came. Baekhyun groans underneath you and you climb off of him in a hurry.

"Sorry! The knife--" Your words get caught in your throat and you both see it at the same time.

The tables were scattered and pushed up against the wall, the chairs right there with them. Your heart beat loud in your ears and your breath was caught in your throat as you looked at Baekhyun to gouge out his reaction.

He was staring at something other than the tables and chairs though, and it only horrified you when you realized what it could have been.

The knife was lodged into the far wall.

 

* * *

 

 

He walked you home in silence, his eyes never looking in your direction until you reached your street. It was earlier than your mom was expecting- earlier than you were hoping too- but he insisted he take you home after the quake.

"I'll pay you back." You tell him, folding your hands behind your back.

"Don't worry about it." He replies quietly.

You wonder if he knew- or if he suspected- that you were some kind of weirdo. You hadn't meant to, but when the knife had fallen you manifested a force field around the both of you.

The thought of seeing Baekhyun with a knife in his head twists your stomach and you push the thought away.

He stops you before you get to your house.

"What?" You had stopped a few houses away and he finally looks at you, but he doesn't have the warm, happy look he usually did. It looked calculating and distant.

"What happened back there?" He asks you. You don't respond. "That knife should have been halfway through my skull, _____." You shrug your shoulders and look at the sidewalk. There was a weed growing in the space between.

"Maybe you were off. It wasn't too far away from the wall, you know--"

"It was ACROSS the room, even if I was off- which I wasn't- it couldn't have lodged in there on it's own." He says. You look him in the eye finally.

"Are you saying I did that?" You scoff, hoping you sounded convincing. "I was right next to you the whole time!" You argue. He eyes you, unconvinced. "You're crazy if you think I could do that." You cross your arms.

In one stride, he closes the distance between you and your breath hitches. His hand falls on the back of your neck and he tilts your head up to look him in the eyes.

You swallow.

His expression was unreadable, and you had no idea if he wanted to kiss you or shoot you.

"You're hiding something." He draws out each word, as if tasting it for the first time. You step away and he lets you.

You walk up the front steps of your house without saying goodbye and slam the door behind you.

"I'm home!" You call out to your mom before going to your bedroom. You lock the door and throw yourself onto your bed, breathing hard.

You were glad you finally got out of there, but slap your forehead in anger.

How could you have done that? Risking it in front of him- _in a restaurant for that matter_ \- and now he was suspicious of you.

Why didn't he drop it when you tried to reason with him? Now, you had no choice but to be really cautious around everyone.

You remember vaguely of Kai telling you to stay away from them, and you ponder on it until you pass out from nerves.

Maybe it would all go away tomorrow and you'd be a normal person.

You were wrong.


	6. Shhh!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You do something daring to hide your secret, but does Baekhyun believe it?

You had expected Baekhyun to ignore you- or even worse, tell Suho, Lay, and Kai about what happened- or to even pretend that it NEVER happened. But he was as unrelenting as a kid who wanted treats.

"You can't ignore me forever, ______." He says, rocking in his seat. It was lunch, but neither Suho, Lay, or Kai were here to distract you. "Why don't you just tell me what you're hiding?" You drop your fork on your tray and huff angrily at him.

"Look! I don't know why you keep pressing the subject, okay? A freaking EARTHQUAKE happened yesterday - and this is NOT an earthquake zone, if you didn't know - and you're worried about a few tables and chairs that got moved in the midst of it?" He almost looked amused.

"No, I'm worrying about the knife that should have sent me to a hospital bed." He says, a cute smile on his innocent face.

Well, fuck.

"Would you tell me how it got in the wall?" You pause for a moment, pretending that you were considering it. You lean closer over the table.

"Okay, fine, but you can't tell ANYONE, okay?" He looks happily surprised as he leans closer to you. You wait for the tension to build before saying, "I think one of the waiters has some weird magic powers or something. Man, he was giving you dirty looks the whole time we were there."

His jaw twitches and he looks like he wanted to grab you and shake you.

"Ha ha, _____." He says, sliding back into his seat. You follow suit.

"I'm serious! I mean, I think he may have been crushing on me." You say, mock flatter on your face. He opens his mouth to say something to you, but you interrupt him. "Look," You start. "I didn't have anything to do with it, alright? It's not even logical, Baekhyun." He looks hesitant to believe you, but he sighs in the end.

"Right, sorry. I was overreacting." You hold back a sigh of relief as Suho and Lay come over and sit down.

"Hi _____!" Suho says, a happy smile on his face. You can't help but smile back at him. "How'd your date go yesterday?" The blood rushes to your face and your cheeks burn as you stutter.

"H-huh?" You squeak. Suho looks at you, alarmed. "We weren't on a--"

"It wasn't a date!" Baekhyun says. You didn't feel too sure if you were upset about his denial, but when you looked at him, his face was pink too.

Suho laughs just as Kai sits down next to you.

"Sorry." He apologizes. Kai raises an eyebrow.

"What's going on?" He asks you, already shoveling in his food.

"I was just asking _____ about her date- I mean, day out- with Baekhyun yesterday." You blush again. Kai shakes his head tiredly at him.

"How could you expect anything less than a 'not good' with the earthquake?" For some reason, everyone's expression hardened at the remark. You understood why, but you felt like there was more to it than you were led to believe.

The bell rings as you put up your tray and you start walking to class with Baekhyun and Lay, saying goodbye to Kai and Suho.

"Hey," Baekhyun says, quiet enough for only you to hear. "I'll walk you home again, okay?" You nod silently and wonder if he really didn't suspect you anymore.

 

* * *

 

 

"Bye!" You wave at Suho from afar as he climbs into his- very expensive, might you add- car. Baekhyun takes you by the arm, looping yours in his, and leads you away from school.

You were getting used to him taking your arm, since he did it all the time, but you weren't sure if you should feel as comfortable with it as you did.

The downside was, when he did this, that familiarity feeling was overwhelming.

"_____?" He pipes up when you're halfway to your house.

"Yeah?" You bring yourself from your thoughts.

"Will you tell me now?" You stop, forcing him to do the same since he was holding your arm.

"What are you talking about?" His face goes serious again and you realize you did _not_ miss that look.

"Why was the knife--"

"Oh, DROP it with that, okay?" You say, yanking your arm from his grasp. He grabs your wrist instead. "How many times do I--" His expression goes blank you choke on the last part of that sentence.

He was looking at you. REALLY looking at you, like he already knew what had happened back there.

Like even if you told him what he wouldn't be surprised. "I- I don't.."

Once again, he steps close to you, his head tilted down in a way that made the shadows creep across his face eerily.

"You're hiding something from me. What could it be?" He says quietly. You inhale sharply and lift your chin defiantly. You had to get him to stop or else you might accidentally slip.

"Fine! I AM hiding something. I was hiding THIS." You pause, wondering if you should really do it.

You watch his shoulders tense, like he was expecting some kind of great force to knock him back.

You gave him just that.

Grabbing his face with your hands, you stand on your tippy-toes and pull his head down towards you until your lips meet.

You feel him flinch, but his hands come up to fall over yours as you kissed him long but timid, until he finally showed signs of registration. You pull away just as he opens his eyes, his face red with embarrassment and his mouth slightly open.

"THAT's what I was hiding from you!" You say before turning tail and running. You didn't look back, and you missed seeing him cover his mouth, embarrassed.

You'd never kissed anyone before, and you were sure it wasn't even a good one you could have blessed him with, but it was better him thinking you liked him than him thinking you had magical powers.

* * *

 

 

_Baekhyun's P.O.V._

I slump against the jamb of Kai's bedroom door, confused to the bone.

I was sure my face was still pink from earlier, because he gave me a funny look when he turns to look at me.

"Did you run or something?" He asks me, getting up and sitting on his bed.

"No." I say, but don't elaborate. He gives me a skeptical look.

"You didn't do anything to _____, right?" He asks me. "I mean, you can try, but I'm more afraid of her mom's reaction than your powers being--"

"No, it was the other way around." Kai's eyes widen.

"Wait, SHE made a move on YOU?" His frown was full of distaste. "God dammit, I told her not to get close to us, and what does she do? That--"

"I don't think she likes me, Jongin." I say his real name to let him know I was serious. He listens. "I think she's hiding something. Something weird happened when the earthquake.." Kai stops me, holding up his hand.

"Hey, if you think something weird is going on, tell Suho, not me." He leans forward, a small, curious smile on his face. "But you CAN tell me what she did to you to make your face so red." I blush and cross my arms.

"It doesn't matter. Besides, I don't think--"

"Doesn't matter what you think, I want to know." I glare at him.

"She kissed me. Alright? Happy?" His eyes widen.

"That's it?" He asks. "She just kissed you and you're already--" I shout in embarrassment, blocking out the last part of his sentence.

He laughs as I leave the doorway and walk away.

"I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow!" He calls out before I open the door to leave. I don't answer and slam the door behind me.

 

* * *

 

 

_Your P.O.V._

The weekend started today, and you weren't sure what you were going to do. You could easily distribute your homework so you would have something to do every hour, but that bored you. And you could always visit Wang Xun, but you were feeling adventurous after your little stunt yesterday.

Hopefully it worked as well as you wanted it to.

"Yes!" You literally squealed with joy when you came up with something to do.

You'd go exploring. You hadn't gotten the time to go outside the town before, since you lived on the other side, but you lived closer to the edge and could easily walk there now.

You made up your mind to check out the old railroad track that ran through the fields to the North. You'd always wanted to check it out since Wang Xun talked about it.

That morning, while you were deciding what to wear when you check out the tracks, Baekhyun heads there for the meeting with Suho.

You had no idea what you were about to walk into.


	7. Intimacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're caught in the middle of a meeting you weren't supposed to know existed. Can you find your way out of it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The series is going to wrap up soon (unfortunately)! I hope you stick to the end with me!

"Make sure you come back before seven, alright? And be careful, maybe bring a friend with you?" You nod and walk out the door.

A friend? Who would you bring? Even though you've made friends, you only know where one of them live.

Sighing, you head down the street and kick the dirt up from under your feet. When you get to the front steps, you stop.

Was this really a good idea? Taking in an uneasy breath, you knock on the door.

Kai's house was smaller than yours and it looked kind of old, but you could see it was taken care of. The gutters were clear and the walls had been recently repainted.

No one comes to the door.

"Right." You say, walking away. You didn't NEED a friend with you, your mom only suggested it.

As you walked away, Kai moves the curtains from his window, peeking through it and watching you walk away.

He felt bad for not answering, but now wasn't a good time to talk, since he needed to start heading to the rendezvous.

Hastily, he sneaks out his back door and goes into his backyard. Checking around to see if anyone was there before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

 

* * *

 

 

_Baekhyun's P.O.V._

I'm the last one to arrive at the tracks, and when I get there everyone's already seated in the train cars. I wave as I approach.

"Baekhyun, there you are!" Suho slides off and gives me a hug. "Any trouble coming here?" He asks me. I shake my head. Chen nods at me.

"Any updates with that _____ girl?" He asks.

The memory from yesterday flashes through my head and I bite my tongue to keep my face neutral.

I would be totally fine, had she been someone else, but that familiar feeling literally made me see stars when she kissed me. It hit me like a train, it was so strong. I was surprised I didn't fall over.

"Yeah, actually.." Suho takes his seat again and I sit by D.O. and Sehun. Kai gives me an amused look. "Yesterday, when the earthquake happened," D.O. shifts uncomfortably. "I was at a Chinese restaurant with _____, and--" Chen laughs and shakes his hand at me, telling me to stop.

"We don't need to know your love life." He says, and I can feel my face turning pink.

"I'm not done." I say defensively, then continue. "There was a knife hanging above us," I motion above my head. "And after the tremors stopped, it fell." Lay looks at me worriedly.

"Are you hurt? I could heal you." He says, placing his hand on my knee. I shake my head.

"It should have fallen straight through my skull- or hers, since she pushed me out of the way- right?" Suho doesn't look happy about where this is going. "We ended up on the floor-" Chen snickers again and I glance at him. "But the knife was halfway in the wall afterwards." He stops.

"What?" Suho asks. "That makes no sense."

"I know. It should have been next to us." I say. "And it wasn't just the knife. The tables and chairs were pushed up against the wall, and we were right in the middle of it." Something flashes across Kai's face, but it's gone before I could tell what it was.

"What are you implying?" Suho asks, already knowing the answer.

Honestly, I felt kind of bad for him. _____ wasn't just some girl we were keeping an eye on, she was his friend too.

"Maybe _____ has powers," I say. "And that's why she feels familiar to me." Suho shakes his head. "I mean it! What if she has something like Luhan does, and--" I stop.

We weren't supposed to bring up Luhan, Kris, or Tao. It wasn't a rule, but it was something we all silently agreed on.

"Sorry." I mumble. Suho waves it off.

"Even if you think this, then how come WE don't have that same feeling with her?" D.O. asks me. I falter. "If she had powers, then wouldn't we all feel what you do?"

Chanyeol turns toward me. "Sorry, Byun, but you have no evidence."

"Yeah, you're right." I say. "But it still makes no sense to me. The familiar feeling or the knife." There is a silence between us before Sehun speaks up.

"Anyway, let's do the exercises already." We stand up and I climb into the train car that sits idle on the tracks. "Yell if something goes wrong." He says before they close the doors on either side.

I inhale sharply as the darkness surrounds me and wait until my eyes adjust. I had to start slowly, or else I wouldn't be able to control it well.

I exhale and close my eyes.

 

* * *

 

 

_Your P.O.V._

Your heart beat loudly in your chest as you recognized their voices. There were four other voices you didn't recognize as you scrambled for a place to hide. You hide in the corner of a nearby train car and hold your breath.

"What are you implying?" You hear Suho ask. He sounded drained.

Were they in the middle of the illegal business you accused Kai for?

"Maybe _____ has powers," Your heart stops for a second as you realize it was worse than illegal business, and when you realize your plan to deceive him did not work. You curse yourself for wasting your first kiss. "And that's why I feel like she's familiar." Your eyes widen.

He feels like you were familiar? It wasn't just you?

You tried to hear the rest of the conversation, but it was hard because they started to speak quieter. By the time you caught the last few sentences, Baekhyun appears in the doorway and you freeze.

"Yell if something goes wrong." A voice says before the doors close on both sides.

You listen to Baekhyun breathe, not daring to do so yourself in fear of being caught.

Why were these people so suspicious of you in the first place? Why couldn't you convince any of them that you were normal?

In the split second you think that, you suddenly understand why as Baekhyun exhales.

A small, faint glimmer of light appears next to him, and you're confused at first, but then another one appears next to it. Your eyes widen as more form around him until you can see his whole body in the soft glow of light. He was wearing that leather jacket you first saw him in, and he stood stiff in front of the door. You were in awe at the sight of him as the lights danced around him as if they were fairies.

When the lights float close enough to touch, you reach out instinctively, your fingers going through a bubble of light.

Baekhyun's head turns to you, alarmed.

You gasp and pull back as the lights go out. You flinch as your eyes adjust to the dark and Baekhyun steps in your direction.

"_____?" He whispers. You don't answer, but instead try to find some way to crawl by him without him noticing.

As if the world hadn't already been against you, he stops moving suddenly and you bump into his leg. Panicking, you shove yourself away and scurry to the door, trying to open it.

"_____! Wait!" Before you remember you can manifest a force field, his hand falls on yours and you stiffen as his chest presses against your back.

Very slowly, as if he were waiting for you to pull away, his fingers curl in, intertwining with yours. Your heart beats fast and you breathe in unsteadily as he leans his temple against yours.

"I want to show you something." He whispers.

Without warning, the little trickles of light appear again and surround you, giving off uneven glows and creating shadows over the door and your clothes.

For some reason, you find yourself relaxing.

Something about this light was soothing and it made you want to forget where you were and the fact that you had been caught spying on your friends - who were actually talking about you and were suspicious of your abilities - you pull away.

He lets you.

"Why are you all out here?" You ask him, stepping back. His eyes gaze into yours, and you're mesmerized by the way the lights shimmer and glisten in the reflection of his eyes.

"This is where we meet." He says softly, his voice washing over you and giving you the urge to reach out to him. "We all have secrets, _____." He waves at the lights and they scatter, moving away from his touch and floating towards you. He steps closer before saying, "This is mine." You nearly fall over.

"You think you have magical powers? You think I believe that?" Of course you did, how couldn't you when you had your own powers?

Baekhyun seems unfazed and he closes the distance between you two, his hand falling on your shoulder.

You look away from him.

"You know my secret now," His voice was quiet and alluring. "Will you tell me yours?" You couldn't explain it, being with him, in this light. It made everything seem like it was going to be okay, even if you revealed your secret, even if it could be a huge mistake.

"O-Okay." You step back. "Put your hand up." You say. He listens without hesitation.

You bite your lip nervously as you ponder on whether or not you should do this, yet you find yourself manifesting a force field anyways. Very gently, you expand the field forward, moving it until you see Baekhyun's hand move back. He flinches, startled.

"What--"

"I can create force fields." You say, answering his question. "I don't know why I have..." You trail off and watch another ball of light float by. Baekhyun walks back up to you.

"This is important, _____." He says, taking your cheek in his palm. Even though the action was affectionate, he looked worried. You watched the way the lights danced around you two, admiring the flicker of golds in his irises. "When did you get this power?" The question struck you as odd, and you couldn't find a reason to hide it from him.

"In middle school.." You say. Something flashes across his face, but it goes away before you can catch it. "What about you?" He smiles at you, and he looks like the same Baekhyun you knew at school.

"Same as you." He says.

You're suddenly aware of his fingers, resting softly on your cheek. His eyes search yours, and for a second, you're hit with that familiar feeling again, like you already knew him. Like you were close friends and the lights floating around you were something you grew up with. You felt the need to cherish the imagined memory of you two together as kids, Baekhyun showing you the lights. For some reason, it felt as real as the moment you shared right now.

His eyes flick from either of yours, admiring the way you looked so tender under his palm. Very gently, his forehead leans against yours- his hair tickling your eyes, but you didn't care - and your heart beats faster.

A light flits in between you two, illuminating his face and yours in the darkness, and you can see a slight spread of pink across his cheeks as he looks away from your gaze. Was he blushing?

Suddenly, that urge you had before rises up inside of you, and you're shocked by your own feelings.

Why did you feel so drawn to him like this? This feeling was something you've never felt before - about anyone - and you couldn't explain it in words. But when his eyes meet yours again, you realize he was feeling the same thing. Slowly, you lean forward and--

"Baekhyun? Are you alright? You've been in there for a long--" You both flinch and turn to look at Suho, who was standing in the now open door with his jaw hanging open. "_____?" He asks, flustered. The lights around you disappear and Baekhyun steps away, and you're hit with that pang of loneliness again.

"Suho," Baekhyun says, his voice sounding panicked. Faces appear behind him- Kai's and Lay's you recognize on the spot- they all wear the same expression. "She wasn't--." Baekhyun starts, but Kai climbs in and looks directly at you, cutting him off.

"I warned you, _____." He says, ignoring Baekhyun and advancing on you, his voice bitter. "I told you to stay away from us, and you didn't listen." You stumble back in fear.


	8. An Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally get some idea of why you have your powers.

"Stop it," Baekhyun steps in front of you, his arm held out in front of you protectively. "Don't you dare--"

Suddenly, Kai's not in front of Baekhyun anymore, but in front of you.

You gasp, your brain trying to wrap around how that happened, and your arms fly up to protect yourself, your eyes wide.

But Kai doesn't get any closer to you, because he can't- your force field stopped him.

"What the hell?" He steps back, looking at you strangely, then he freezes. "Baekhyun.." He says quietly. "..why is _____ here?" Baekhyun crosses his arms.

"_____ is like us, she can tap into the tree." You're confused at his explanation, but decide to leave it all to him as the rest of the guys climb into the train car. Suho frowns.

"What are you saying, Baekhyun? There are only twelve of us." He says. "The tree only supplies her kin." You're hit with a wave of familiarity all of a sudden, and it's overwhelming you because it wasn't just with Baekhyun - it was with all of them.

What the hell is wrong with you? You had started to think that maybe you had a crush on Baekhyun, and that's why you felt like being in his arms all the time - but there was no way you could feel that way about the ALL of them. Something wasn't right.

"I'm saying that we were wrong. There are more of us, _____ is proof." You hadn't realized it until now, but Kai was pushing against the force field, trying to wrap his mind around why he couldn't move further.

You drop it and his hands fall forward, landing on your shoulders. His eyes widen.

"Junmyeon," He says to Suho- was that his real name? "She can create force fields." He says, turning around to face him. Suho was slowly catching on to what he was implying. "That's the part we've been overlooking this whole time. We've been doing this all wrong." Everyone in the room seems to realize what it was he meant and you were left even more confused than before.

"Okay," You lift your hands up, utterly boggled. "I have no idea what is going on right now. I thought we were talking about powers and then a tree pops up and ' _we're doing it all wrong_ '?" You shake your head. "I'm confused." Kai looks at you, shocked.

"You mean you don't know anything?" He asks. "Why did you know to approach us, then?" You lift your eyebrow.

"What do you mean? Suho approached ME, and then introduced me to you guys." You gesture towards him, Baekhyun, and Lay. "What was I supposed to know? That you guys were like me?" They look at you like you actually WERE supposed to. "I only got this far because of--" You stopped yourself. Although it wasn't personal, you felt that the familiar feeling with Baekhyun was some sort of secret.

"Because of the tree. The tree was pulling her." Suho says, like he was just figuring this all out. "And Baekhyun," He looks at him. "That's the feeling you talked about before. It was the tree." Baekhyun gapes at him.

"The tree?" He repeats, his face turning pink. You were lost again. "Doesn't that mean..?" Suho shrugs.

"We never got to finish looking, remember?" Suho says. "We were supposed to continue the search when summer started."

Lay speaks up. "I thought we weren't going with that plan?" Suho looks at him. "Doesn't the eclipse happen then?" Suho's expression hardens.

"Yes, but we have no choice. If things go wrong, we have to blend in with society, and skipping school is not blending well."

Oops. You already blew that part a LONG time ago. You step forward.

"Why not on Monday, then?" Everyone's head turns to look at you. "As a school trip or something?" You suggest. Suho's the first one to react.

"You're right, my parents would be okay with that, it's only two cities over." Suho says, thinking about it. He looks to the rest of the guys. "Can you convince your parents to let you go?" He asks them. Kai answers up first.

"Don't need to, they're never around anyways." You wonder if that's why no one came to answer the door earlier.

Everyone nods, saying they could do it. Suho turns to you.

"Are you coming?" You raise your eyebrows, suprised. "You're one of us, we know that now. You can come with us." You hesitate. You had already made up your mind that you belonged with them, since you were the same, but leaving the city with strange boys you don't know well? You wonder how your mom will react to that.

"I'm coming." You say, suprised by your own words. "I want to know more about my powers." You weren't even sure where it was they were going. Suho nods, then motions for everyone to follow him out.

"It's getting late, we need to head home." You gasp, making everyone tense.

"What time is it?!" You ask, panic coursing through your veins. "PLEASE tell me it's not already seven." You whine, desperately looking at them for an asnwer. Suho checks his watch.

"It's 6:20, _____." He says, puzzled.

You nearly faint.

"My mom is going to kill me.." You say, covering your face, stress filling you. "It takes an hour to walk here on foot!" Kai shifts uncomfortably.

"I'll take you home." He says, grabbing your arm. You look at him strangely. "You can make force fields, I can teleport." He says almost defensively.

Before you can reply, Baekhyun takes your hand in his. You were going to say something, but when you looked into his eyes you were at a loss for words.

Kai's hand rests on your forehead and your not in the train car anymore, but in Kai's backyard.

 

* * *

 

 

When you get to your house, your mom opens the door before you even walk up the front steps. She pauses in the doorway, looking at you in shock.

You blush, realizing you were still holding Baekhyun's hand, while Kai stands close behind. Your mom smiles, greeting them.

"Good afternoon, boys." She says. Baekhyun shakes her hand. "It's nice to see you again."

"The pleasure is ours," Kai says, smiling at her. He almost looked like a normal boy when he does it, and you almost forget that this is the same Kai that warned you to stay away. "Are you alright? The earthquake the other day was pretty bad." Your mom sighs, placing her hand on her hip as she remembers.

"Yes, it was." She agrees. "It's weird, don't you think? This isn't a quake area." Baekhyun shifts, and you feel his discomfort when he squeezes your hand.

"Mom," You say, looking at her. She blinks at you before smiling. "I need to tell you something when I come inside, okay?" She laughs, saying goodbye to them and disappears inside the house. You turn to them. "Okay, so I just need to tell her we're having a field trip on Monday?" You ask, wanting clarification. Kai looks at weirdly.

"Have you never snuck out before?" You press your lips together.

"That's not it," You say. "It's just, I've never blatantly lied to her face before." Baekhyun gives you a reassuring smile before hugging you. You're surprised as his arms wrap around your waist and you think about hugging him back- but then notice your mom in the window. You glare at her and she giggles, hiding behind the curtain.

"Don't worry about it, your mom trusts you." Baekhyun pauses. "She does, right? Why would she leave you out here with two boys?" You watch as your mom peeks out the window again, pretending like she was doing something else.

"I don't know, actually." You reply as she realizes you were looking at her and she walks the other way. "But thanks anyways."

You hug him, your palms sliding against the leather on his back.

"It was nice to show someone else my secret for once." You say quietly. You stay like that for a while, and Baekhyun's hand gradually makes it way to your hair, pulling your head closer to his so that his lips were at your ear.

"I think so too." Kai clears his throat and Baekhyun pulls away.

"I actually need to talk to you about something, so.." You thought he was talking to Baekhyun, because Baekhyun nods and walks past him- towards his house- but Kai stays with you.

"Oh, _me?_ " You ask, pointing to yourself. He looks at you for a moment, like he was wondering if you were even intelligent, but then his expression changes and he looks unguarded- you'd even say vulnerable.

"I'm sorry I acted like that before," He says. "I was being an asshole because I didn't want to.. our secret, and--" You cut him off.

"I understand." You say. "You don't have to apologize for it." He doesn't say anything, so you keep going. "Just don't keep acting like one, alright?" He laughs, and for the first time since you met him, you feel like you're actually seeing a part of the real him.

"I won't. It's not my style, anyways." He shakes his head and smiles at the ground before looking back up at you. "Oh, and when you go inside, tell your mom I was asking you about your school project." You turn around and see her at the window again. You sigh.

"Right." When you look back at Kai, he shifts from one foot to the other.

"So.. we're cool, then?" He asks.

"We're cool." You smile. He looks at you for a moment, before a smile appears on his face and he outstretches his arms.

"Hug?" You laugh and step back, waving your hand.

"We're not THAT close, buddy." He laughs too, not expecting you to actually agree to it. "Not yet." You add as he turns and starts walking.

He turns and looks at you, pondering on your words before walking back down to his house, where Baekhyun was waiting. You take in a deep breath.

Time to lie to your mom.

 

* * *

 

 

"You're lying to me, aren't you?" You realize that you never were good at lying, EVER. You frown at your mom, though, keeping your facade because this was one thing you couldn't let slip by.

"NO, mom. We really DO have a field trip on Monday, two cities over." She watches your face, searching for some sign of a lie, but not finding any.

"So if I asked Wang Xun about it, he'd give me the same answer as you?" Your eyes widen in shock. "That's right," Your mom says, waving her finger at you. "I know about your school skipping- and I know you love that bookstore." You groan in frustration. Just how much of a bad liar were you? How did anyone not figure out you had powers before if you're so bad at convincing people?

"Mom," You say. "YES, he will give you the same answer." You weren't sure about that, actually. You hadn't visited him in a while since you met Baekhyun, Suho, Kai, and Lay. You feel a pang of guilt and decide to visit him later. "Go ahead, call him." You say, motioning at the phone.

Your mom makes a face at you, and for a split second, you think she's actually going to do it. But then she sighs and gives you a hard look.

"Who else is going to be there? What teacher?" You hesitate.

"Mr. Lei." You say. "And my classmates." You add.

"Who? I want specifics." She crosses her arms.

"Mom, my class is all girls except for Suho, Kai, and--" You stop, realizing what she wanted to hear.

"Oh," She says, looking like she won. "So there will be boys going with you."

"You're forgetting I said my class is pretty much all girls..?" You try. She shakes her head.

"No." She says. "Who're the boys? Do I know them?"

"You know two of them. Baekhyun and Kai." You say. "Suho's just like them." You try to reassure her.

"Really?" She seemed won over by that. "Why don't you bring him over sometime? I'd love to meet him." You wondered if your mom was even thinking straight at the moment.

"So I can go?" You ask, feeling relieved that it was ending soon.

"On one condition," She says, holding up her finger. "You have to tell me one thing you learned from going on this museum trip, you hear me?" You smile, nodding.

"Thank you." You tell her before going upstairs. When you're there, you sigh and sink into your bed.

You turn your head and look at Ren, who was sitting upright on your desk, her bulgy black eyes looking at you. You hadn't touched her since you tried your force field that night, and you were afraid you couldn't control it anymore, since it only seemed to get worse.

But you were fine this afternoon, so you had to try it to see if it actually was okay.

You move her to the middle of your carpet before standing in front of your bed again, then let out a steady breath. You manifest your field and expand it, moving it across the rug and you watch as the individual bristles move under the field. Just before it reaches Ren, it stops.

You breathe in again, remembering how Baekhyun so easily conjured up his lights, moving them around like it was as simple as breathing.

You breathe out. Your force field moves forward just a bit, and you watch as Ren moves back a little.

You smile to yourself as you realize you finally got the hang of it.


	9. Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group congregates, but this sudden friendly meeting leads to even more questioning things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me long enough to read this! I'm really excited for the end of this, and I hope you all have fun reading it. :)

You were amazed when you went past the city borders, new scenery flashing before your eyes as you stare in awe out the tinted window. Suho chuckles when he sees you through the mirror.

"You've never been out of the city?" He asks you, making you momentarily look away from outside.

"Nope." You find yourself smiling, despite the fact that you were pressed against the door.

Suho had the hardest time convincing his parents, because they asked why they didn't have to sign any papers about it, but he eventually got them to believe him. He didn't want to look suspicious and drive their van to school, so instead he was forced to bring his car, which wasn't made for holding ten people.

You got to know who the other guys were: There was Chanyeol, he seemed to be the happiest of them all. Kyungsoo - who preferred to be called D.O. - and his eyes were beautiful to you. Chen and Xiumin you remembered because they stuck together whenever the group would split up, and then there was Sehun, who tended to linger around Kai.

You suddenly become very aware of Baekhyun, who was squished up against you, when the car hits a small bump on the road. His arm was forced around your shoulders so he didn't accidently stab you with them, and honestly, you didn't really mind it, but there would be the occasional rough bump and you'd always throw your hand out to grip something- and his thigh was conveniently placed in the exact spot you reached out to.

"Sorry." You mumble for the fifth time.

"It's fine." He says, giving you a smile you'd normally have ease ignoring, but from this close, it was hard not to blush. "I'd rather you do it than Kai." Kai- who was squished up on the other side of him- gives him a look of disgust, like he couldn't believe Baekhyun would even suggest he'd do such a thing. You laugh. The rest of the ride was as smooth as you can expect, driving on city roads and then back in the country again.

The whole trip there took about two hours, and by the time you open the car door, you're in the middle of nowhere.

"Where are we, exactly?" You ask, nearly falling out of the vehicle because their weight almost topples you, but you catch yourself.

"It's hidden underneath," Sehun says, motioning for you to follow as he steps off the road. Suho locks the car after everyone's out and prays to not get towed. "Over here."

After walking for about ten minutes, he bends down and starts to swipe at the red dirt, revealing a latch. Their eyes widen as they peer over your shoulder.

"It's already been opened." Sehun says.

"Is that a bad thing?" You ask. He glances at you over his shoulder.

"No one comes here, and we always lock it just in case." You start to feel nervous when they shift uncomfortably.

"Well, are you going to open it?" You ask when nothing happens. He pauses before lifting the lid.

It was dark and dusty, you noticed as you volunteered to climb down first. There were a lot of cobwebs, and the tiles underneath your shoes had strange designs on them. It wasn't big, but there were two other rooms on your right- one with an open door. You step away from the ladder when Suho climbs in after you and lean against one of the many crates that were stacked in the corners.

You're about to say ask what to do, when Suho holds his hand up, making Sehun pause haflway down. Suho motions to the open door and presses his finger to his lips. You realize he was saying "someone else was there". You swallow, and when he hesitates, you take initiative and walk in first.

Almost immediately, you have objects being whirled at you and you shriek, jumping back and manifesting a force field, even though you didn't need to because they already flew past you and shattered against the wall. Suho was ready to help, but your force field was blocking the doorway and when you opened your eyes again they meet three other's.

"Who are you?" One of the guys ask, his hand outstretched in a fist, a vase floating by him. The two other guys tense and watch you, ready to pounce.

"Who are YOU?" You ask, trying to sound like you had business here. "Why are you in here?"

"Luhan?" Suho calls from behind you and the guy who's hand was up lets his arm fall to his side and the vase lands softly on the floor.  
  
"Junmyeon?" He asks and you calm down a little, enough to rid of your field and Suho walks up next to you. "What are you doing here? Are the guys with you?" Immediately, they all meet halfway and embrace one another, leaving you feeling like you were intruding on a family riunion. Suho laughs.

"Yeah," He turns to look over his shoulder. "Can you tell them to come down now?" You nod, dashing out of the room.

"Sehun," You call, realizing he had climbed back up. He peeks his head in. "Suho said to come down. Bring everyone."

One by one, they all file into the room and it feels a little stuffed, but you weren't going to complain after that car ride.

"There are guys here." You tell them, once Kai closes the lid. "Three of them."

Most of them look at each other awkwardly, but Chen, Xiumin, and Lay look elated.

"Really?" Lay asks, already walking past you. "Kris! Tao! Luhan! Are you there?" They emerge from the room, all smiles and totally different from how they treated you a moment ago.

"Lay!" Luhan wraps his arms around him. "What are you all doing here?" His eyes land on you and he tenses. "Also, what is a girl doing here? I thought we weren't supposed to tell anyone about this place." Lay smiles.

"_____'s one of us." He says as Suho opens one of the crates and dusts something off before taking it out. It was an old, torn up journal with a tree symbol engraved on the front of it. He motions the book towards one of the other guys.

"Kris, remember what I showed you?" The tall guy in the middle nods and studies you for a moment. "I think she's the one they were talking about."

"What are you talking about?" The third stranger asks. "You only shared it with him?" Kris gives him a side glance before speaking.

"It's a leader thing." He says, as if that was enough explanation.

Suho enters the circle again, opening up to page and pointing at a picture. You were puzzled, your whole day has been nothing but new things and you were still trying to wrap your head around what was happening. Your eyes scanned the tribal art, a single tree was in full bloom, twelve symbols circled it, and a single one was etched into the trunk.

"This is the piece we were missing." Suho says to the rest of them. "It was _____." They all pass the book around, sharing their opinions.

"What does _____ have to do with this?" Xiumin asks.

"See? It's a bubble, it must represent her forcefield." D.O. replies, pointing to the trunk.

"Then why is her symbol not with us?" Sehun asks, passing it to Kai.

"Because.." His eyes widen a millimeter before he looks over at Suho. "Are you telling me..?" Suho and Kris were in sync, nodding at the same time.

"_____ is our connection to the tree. Which means she's our ticket back home." Everyone looks at you and you want to fall under the weight of their stares.

You cross your arms unconsciously and press your lips together. "What?"

"If _____'s the connection, then what am I?" Baekhyun asks, taking the attention from you. Kris raises his eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" Suho explains the feelings you and Baekhyun shared with each other - in vivid details you didn't expect - and you wondered if you really _were_ as bad at hiding things as you thought.

"There's only one thing it can mean," Says the guy whose name you still don't know. "It means that you and her," He gestures towards you. "Are.. you know." His cheeks turn pink as he implies something you don't understand, but Baekhyun seems to get it because his face is the same color as his.

"Zitao!" Baekhyun nearly shouts and his whole face turns red, handing the book back to Kai and advancing on him. "How could you suggest--" Kris puts a hand on Baekhyun's chest, stopping him.

"You're right, Baekhyun. You're young, but it's still possible." Baekhyun looks nervous- like he was trying to hide something from everyone and it was finally going to come out- and keeps glancing at Suho like he wanted him to intervene, but he didn't. "It's up to you."

"I don't understand what's going on.." You say for the second time. It seems that these boys would forever confuse you. "What's so special out me being a connection, and us," You motion towards Baekhyun. "Being whatever we are." Suho gives you half smile, and it sort of reminded you of how your dad would smile at you before he told you something you might not like.

"You and Baekhyun," He thinks for a moment, pressing his lips together. "You two are.." He struggles to find a way to explain it to you. "I'm not really sure what they call it here, but where we're from- according to this book- they call you '소울 메이트'." You look at him, still puzzled.

"And that's supposed to mean.. what to me?"

Baekhyun doesn't look at you when he walks back next to you, slowly intertwining his fingers with yours as he says, "...It means we're soul mates."

You heart nearly beats out of your chest at that moment, your eyes widening in shock and your whole face flushing in embarrassment. You stammer.

"W-What?" You unintentionally tighten your hold on his palm. "That's not possible! That kind of thing isn't real." Suho's expression says otherwise. You scoff. "No way." You say.

Although it was insane for them all to claim that Baekhyun and you were "meant to be", it would explain a lot.

Before, you couldn't place why you always felt so comfortable and drawn to him. You couldn't explain how you knew when he was around, or that feeling you'd get when he looked into your eyes. You didn't know why you felt lonely when he wasn't with you, or why your heart would beat fast when he was.

Being "soul mates" explained everything.

"Again, it's just a possibility." Kris says and shrugs, picking at his nails as he continues. "I mean, it could just be that you two haven't grown up at all and you're just going through--" Chen snickers when Suho stares at him in horror. "Well, you get what I mean." You flush, slight annoyance bubbling up in your chest, but Baekhyun squeezes your hand, reassuring you he was just kidding.

You start stepping backwards, out of the circle.

"This is all.. a lot to take in--" All of a sudden, your back hits one of the smaller crates and it falls. The lid falls off as he falls to the floor and you gasp, jumping away as tiny, metal marbles roll out onto the tiled floor. "What..?" There wasn't many, and from what you could count, there was only thirteen.

"You know," Suho says, looking unaffected and bending over to pick one up. He twirls it between his fingers before looking up. "I wasn't sure why these were here," He picks up the rest of the marbles and hands them out. "It made no sense to me before, since there were thirteen." He hands the last one to Kris before facing you all. "But now _____ is here, and now I get it."

You still, anticipating what he was going to say next. You were sure that nothing he said could surprise you more than what was said earlier - just thinking out it made you blush again - but apparently, you were wrong.

"In order for us to return, we ALL have to go home."


	10. *Exodus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally time to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING: MILD LANGUAGE. Hey guys! The series is officially over after this part. ;u; It feels like it's been so long since this first started, and I'm kind of sad to see it off so soon. I figured since I could, why not be dramatic? I hope you enjoy the finale. c:

You walk down the streets of your city, your hand interlaced with Baekhyun's tightly. You weren't sure why you had even agreed to this - or yearned for it - but when Suho exclaimed that you all go, it didn't take much convincing for you to consent.

Saying goodbye to your parents was bad enough, since they thought you'd be home after a few hours. Imagining their faces after they realize you're missing breaks your heart and you have to close your eyes to stop tears from falling.

Next stop was Wang Xun. You felt terrible for visiting him as a last goodbye, but you didn't want to leave without spending a few last moments with him.

No one knew if you could come back, and you didn't want to take any chances.

Baekhyun opens the door, the tiny bell ringing above your heads as you walk in. Wang Xun's head pops up and he grins when he sees you.

"_____!" He sings, walking around the counter. "I haven't seen you in ages!" You laugh when he awkwardly bows at Baekhyun, realizing he was there. "Ah, another friend?" He asks you. You smile, finding yourself loosening up.  
  
"Yeah, this is Baekhyun." Baekhyun smiles, holding out his free hand. Wang Xun takes it as he examines the both of you. "I wanted to introduce the two of you." The words felt scripted - since they were - and you couldn't help but hold your breath in hope that he fell for your bad acting.

Luckily, he did.

"Sorry I haven't visited more, I've been really busy with school." You apologize. Wang Xun smiles at you.

"What? You're actually going now?" You flush, embarrassed because you hadn't quite told Baekhyun - or anyone - of your habit to skip. Baekhyun chuckles at your reaction.

You all talk about a variety of things before Baekhyun says it time to go. To your surprise, Wang Xun hugs you and says that he can't wait until you visit him again.

Baekhyun watches you as this happens, and when you exit the small bookstore, he wraps his arm around your shoulder.

"You alright?" He asks. You nod and watch as dark clouds roll in above the buildings. "You can change your mind."

"No, I can't." You counter, turning to look at him. "If I don't go, then none of you can." He pauses for a moment, pressing his lips together. He opens his mouth to say something, but another voice cuts him off.

"Well, if it isn't the Heart Breaker." Chills shoot up your spine and you tense, your hands immediately reaching out to Baekhyun's arm for comfort.

You didn't have to ask, because he was already pulling you in his arms.

Without even looking who it was, you could already see his eyebrow cock up in your head.

"Oh?" He says. "Have you not rejected him yet?" Baekhyun glares at him.

"Who are you?" He demands. Baekhyun steps back as you hear the guy behind you step closer.

"_____," Hearing your name fall off his lips made you cringe, and old memories suddenly sweep through your head and you want to push them away. "Tell him who I am, he's curious." Baekhyun looks at you for a moment before grimacing at the guy.

"Leave her alone," He says. "Answer my question." When you give no response, the guy sighs.

"My name is Ryeo." Finally, you're able to find the courage to turn around and face him, but Baekhyun's arm was still secure around your waist. "I'm _____'s ex boyfriend." You gape at him.

"What?" You ask. "I never even accepted your--"

"Oh, don't be like that. Is this your boyfriend? How long have you two been fucking?" You flush at his vulgar choice of words and you're about to snap at him, but Baekhyun beats you to it.

Angrily, he lets go of you and advances on him, his fists in Ryeo's collar before you can even blink.

"What did you say?" You couldn't see his expression, but Baekhyun must have looked pretty scary because Ryeo pales. "You have two seconds to run before I permanently change your face." Ryeo stammers.

"Two seconds--"

"One," In a flash, he bolts the other way and you watch him turn into the first alley he comes across.

Baekhyun was still standing there, his shoulders tense and his hands in fists at his side.

Then, in a heartbeat, it's gone.

He turns and faces you as you approach and you wrap your arms around him, not sure why you felt the urge to do so- you stopped caring why a while ago.

His hands cup your face and he tilts your head to look at him, and for a moment, you think he's going to kiss you, but then he lets go and takes your hand instead.

"Let's go, Suho's waiting for us."

 

* * *

 

 

"Are you sure this is the right way to go?" You ask, sweating nervously. You wipe your palms on your jeans as Suho answers, not even glancing at you.

"It can't be any other way, everything's set." It was late now, almost 9:00, and the eclipse was going to start soon. You were taught not to look at it directly, but Suho said that in order to do this, you'd have to.

They were all in a circle around you, sitting on their knees with their heads hanging. They had drawn some weird lines that connected in the center, where you were standing. You fidget again.

"I feel like you guys are really in a cult or something.." You jest, glancing at the lines drawn in the dirt. There must be some other way to get them home, but apparently there wasn't- so here you were, in the middle of nowhere again, feeling like you were in the middle of a seance with twelve boys.

In fact, you were probably just dreaming right now, and your mom would wake you up when it was time to go to school, like normal.

You pinch your arm, but the pain is real and sigh, looking up at the setting sun.

"This is crazy.." You mutter.

"_____," Suho actually looks up at you this time, his eyes a little glassy. "I just wanted to say that I'm glad we became friends." You weren't sure why he was saying something like that, especially since no one was dying, but you feel a light layer of sadness wash over you.

"Me too." He bows his head again just as the moon starts to move over the sun.

Suho told you not to talk when this happens, and you had to fight the urge to squeal in awe. You've seen it on T.V. before, but seeing it in person was a whole different thing.

It was beautiful, and no words could describe it. You were waiting for your eyes to start hurting, like your parents told you it would, but it never came. When the moon covers the sun entirely, the boys shift, moving in sync.

" _Mama,_ " They say, startling you. " _Oh mother, please take us unto your roots again._ "

Suddenly, they all place their hands in front of them, sending a line of their powers down the trails in the dirt. You gasp, sending up your force field just as they reach you. Time seemed to slow down as you watch with wide eyes, their powers encasing you, the only thing stopping you from coming in contact with it was your field.

You couldn't see anything, all you could hear over the rush of water, wind, and earth was their voices, all in chant.

" _Bring us back to the land where we flourish, and let us see your face again._ "

The tree symbol below your feet illuminates with light, and you gasp, watching it as the light spreads through the branches until it reaches the trunk. It's slowly moving towards the core, the symbol of your power, when suddenly it stops.

"Huh?" Your eyes widen again as the elements fade from your force field, moving back down the lines until they reach the guys. Once you can see again, you realize what was happening.

"What are you doing?!" It was Sehun, he was standing up with Kris, yelling at him. The other guys look up, shocked when they realize it all stopped.

Suddenly, Luhan and Tao stand up too, taking their place next to Kris. Sehun looks like he wants to cry.

"Go back! Before the eclipse is over!" There was no point in his feat, since the three of them were solid in place. Suho stands, anger flashing across his face as he leaves his place too.

"Are you trying to keep us from going home?" He asks, pushing Kris. "What is your problem? We've worked so hard-- TOO hard for you three to stop us!" He jabs his finger at Kris, pressing it on his chest. "Don't you want to see Mother?" Kris scoffs.

"Do you actually believe this will get us home?" He asks. Suho looked offended and a little drained, as if he was second guessing himself. "All we have is a few books to go by, and you believe it?" You feel a surge of anger rise up in you as you stand next to Suho, your shoulders squared as you tried to look intimidating.

"There was definitely something going on in that circle, couldn't you tell?!" You ask kind of loudly, surprising the both of them. "SOMETHING was happening, and that's a LOT different from when you were in charge, wasn't it?" Annoyance flickers across Kris' features as he grimaces at you.

"Excuse me?" He asks, stepping past Suho and looking down at you.

His height was a lot more domineering this close, but you couldn't back down.

Not anymore.

"What do you know? You only just got here, and you think you're Queen Bee?" He asks. "Why don't you just go back home to your human parents and live there like the mortal you are? We don't need you, we have all the time in the world." You couldn't hear anything but the murderous thoughts that were going through your head at that moment, and you have to dig your nails into your palm to stop them from wrapping around his neck.

"You can't go anywhere without me." You say, crossing your arms and keeping your bravado. "I saw something that none of you witnessed, and only I know what it means." He gives you a doubtful look.

"What are you talking about?" Seeming to have the upper hand, you start to feel a little cocky and actually smirk at him.

"I told you, SOMETHING was happening in that circle, and none of you could see it but me." The three guys look at each other, then at Suho. Kris points at you.

"What is she saying? Did you pick up some lunatic?" Suho backs you up.

"_____'s right." He says. "She was the only one in the middle, she must have seen something we all missed." When they don't answer, you plead.

"Don't you see?" You ask them. "Even if this doesn't work, we can rule it out. But please," You glance at the sky. "The eclipse is almost over, let's finish this." They looked like they were teetering on whether or not listen to you, so you played your last move. "Don't you want to go home?"

Checkmate. They looked a little ashamed for not even considering it, then they go back to their places.

You're about to too, but Baekhyun stands up and runs to you, damning your progress.

"_____," Before you can even breathe in, he grabs your face and kisses you. Your hands fly up to his, shocked. "Thank you." He whispers before walking back.

At that, everyone runs into their places again - including you - and they begin the process all over again. You set up your field again, nodding at Kris just before the elements surround you again. You wait for the words again, and finally see the light illuminate the branches below you.

 

* * *

 

 

_Baekhyun's P.O.V._

I was scared when I first saw everyone out of their places. I mean, what were they thinking? When we were so close to going home?

But then _____ stood up against Kris, and seeing that made me feel such strong emotions that I had to hold my breath the whole time. It suddenly dawned on me why _____ had the power to create force fields.

She was our defense.

She always stood up for us, even when she wasn't even sure what was going on. She was always by our side, and she'd protect us from anything.

Knowing that, I was able to calm down and spread my power evenly into the circle, letting my energy flow.

I vaguely think back to what I had just done in front of everyone. It was our first kiss- well, excluding her trying to convince me that one time- and I bow my head a little lower, unable to hold back a small smile.

We all waited, on edge in case something went wrong again, until finally we heard _____'s voice from the center.

" _Mother..?_ " I so wanted to look up, to see whatever she was seeing, but I knew better and kept my head bowed.

I think about the way she was so attached to this world.

To Wang Xun, the owner of that small bookstore. To her parents, who raised her since before she can remember. It means a lot to me, more than she'll ever know, that she's giving it all up to come with us. When we make it there, I'll hold her. I'll make sure that she doesn't ever have to feel lonely or homesick. I'll make sure she's happy with us, so much so that she doesn't even think about Earth. I'll take of her, I'll make sure we'll be okay.

With that, I listen to her last words before feeling like I'm being washed away.

" _Will you take us home?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally over! I hope you enjoy my other series, Boy Next Door, just as much. :)


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